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| Manmohan Singh heaves a sigh of relief | | Sonia Gandhi issues warning to PM detractors | | From B L KAK
NEW DELHI, JULY 16: In a significant turn of events, the UPA government's 'political arm', Sonia Gandhi, has at last acted to keep the 'economic arm', Manmohan Singh, in good humour. The 'Lady of 10 Janpath' is understood to have issued a warning to the detractors of the Prime Minister to behave properly and to stop criticising him.
Sonia Gandhi's warning--not publicised so far for obvious political reasons--came after the Prime Minister did not conceal his disappointment over the attitude adopted by some of his senior colleagues. In fact, Manmohan Singh, completely upset over a drive against him by some Ministers in the UPA government, had complained to Sonia Gandhi.
By the time the Prime Minister took off on Sunday for G8 summit in Saint Petersburg, he had reasons to be more relaxed than before. Obviously, his satisfaction was the product of Sonia Gandhi's intervention in a situation, which, if left unattended, could have led to unpleasant developments on the political plane. Sonia, according to sources close to her, has pledged to tackle the persitent murmurs of discontent.
EARLY TIMES has got clear hints from these sources about Sonia Gandhi having asked senior leaders of her party to take immediate steps to strengthen the ties between the Congress and the government to get rid of a feeling that the party is not sailing with the Prime Minister. This, again, followed the flow of a message from the Prime Minister, conveying his unhappiness to the Congress supremo.
The Prime Minister cannot be, and, indeed, should not be, faulted for his anger against the campaign run by a section of Congress leaders. Clearly, the campaing made many believe that there was a disconnect between the party leadership and the Prime Minister.
Prithviraj Chavan, Minister in the Prime Minister's Office (PMO), took many by surprise just the other day when he visited the Congress headquarters on Ashoka Road. He was said to have discussed the matter with Janardhan Dwivedi, the newly appointed chairman of the media cell. Both Chavan and Dwivedi declined to be drawn into discussion when some mediapersons posed some questions.
The decision of the Congress leadership (read Sonia Gandhi) to revamp the media cell, which was without a head after Ambika Soni was inducted in the UPA government as as Tourism Minister in January, is seen as an attempt to check “leaks” to the media that gave an impression of growing differences between the party leadership and Manmohan Singh.
No wonder, Dwivedi, who is known to be close to the party leadership, has been asked to function more effectively as a catalyst between the party and the government. Sonia Gandhi has issued strict instructions that no party leader should give an impression to the media that the party is not supporting Manmohan Singh and his policies.
In the altered, or altering scenario, Sonia Gandhi appears to have been compelled to send out a signal to make it clear that she is very particular to make all and sundry to realise that it is "our government" and that the party stands behind it like a rock.
There is a strong move to reinforce party-government relations. At the same time, however, some Congress leaders justified their “constructive criticism” of the government and its policies.“It is our right to raise people-related issues and it is up to the government whether it wants to take it up or not,” B.K. Hariprasad, a Congress Working Committee member, was quoted as saying.
Asked why some Congress leaders were airing their differences with the government openly, Hariprasad replied: “The Congress is not a secret agency. We want the public to know about what we are discussing. We want to be transparent. But it is also wrong to say that the party is not backing the government. It is our government.” |
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